Most of us are on evolving, continuous quests to find something – knowledge, power or that elusive grail known as happiness – and, like many ordeals, it is the trials, tribulations, wins and losses in the meantime that forge us into the people we are and we become. Zippy quotes are a dime a dozen, so I will spare you the clichés, but the real beauty in life is the experiences that teach us what is important and what is not important on our journey up the mountain.
Sometimes our best lessons lie in defeat; we are able to look back and realize what knowledge we gleaned from that experience and we decide how to move forward. We decide how to address any inadequacies we have realized in ourselves. We decide how to apply our skills and traits in the future to either avoid another pitfall or to find the end results we desire.
Lessons are everywhere. They are in the relationships we have – business and personal – and we figure out which are healthy and unhealthy for us. They are in the cause and effect scenarios that we engage in constantly; we know and we learn what will occur if we engage in certain activities or if we abstain. They also exist in the hard fought battles we lose; we lose these battles so we can gain experience, heal and win the war.
Learning is so fundamental to our growth as individuals because it is all we have; imagine how boring life would be if it was uninteresting. Sure, sometimes we get into situations where we miss the monotony life can provide, but it is during these times of tests and personal challenge that we figure out who we are and who we are destined to become.
I say, embrace the challenges. Look for the teachings and lessons in every little thing. Often, we are quick to dismiss other people’s ways of thinking or opinions, but unless we are constantly looking for ways to improve ourselves and the world around us – what is the point? Why are we here? Because it sure as heck isn’t for no reason. We are here to leave our mark, to contribute to the team that is the human race and to give of our talents and skills to help mankind.
A day without learning is a day wasted. It is a day you can never get back. These are opportunities you may never see again so you must seize them as they enter your field of vision. Take the fruit you are given and squeeze every drop of juice from it you can before it spoils; only by taking life by the reins and controlling your destiny can you truly live a life of no regrets.
Pain and suffering and tough lessons are a part of life. Who would we be without the break-up’s, the betrayals and the beatings we have endured? We begin life as a blank canvass with limitless potential to grow into a masterpiece.
Look for the lesson and the moral and the meaning in everything you do. Challenge yourself to improve every day. And never stop that journey because the second you stand still, someone will pass you. The second you stop climbing, you inhibit your own chances of reaching your peak, your summit.
And a day without learning, challenging yourself, or doing whatever you can to make a difference is a day without taking full advantage of this gift of life that has been bestowed on us. Will you look that gift horse in the mouth? Or will you do everything you can to seek the answers of the world?
That power and that decision is always up to you.
The Life and Times of Carson V. Heady 
Carson’s dedication to focus and forward drive is a lesson for all to learn. I teach a 360 degree focus with the forward half of the circle open to learning and analysis and the later half of the circle for analysis of what you have learned from what was at one time the future which is now the present and past in a single tick of time. I really like your work Carson.
Jerry Lee VanOster